This Monday June 25th there is an important community consultation meeting happening at the Trinity Bellwoods Community Recreation Centre (155 Crawford St) that we felt we should make you aware of. It concerns a new development proposed for 109 Ossington Avenue, and a local community group called Smart Growth for Ossington (http://smartgrowthforossington.ca) has put together a flyer detailing why this project should concern local residents and why we should show up to this meeting and let our voices be heard.

Ossington is the street Toronto loves — and loves to talk about. A developer has recently filed an application for a building very different from anything else on the Ossington strip. “109OZ” would be an 82 foot tall condo. As wide as nine regular buildings, its “AAA retail space” would be built only to house one chain store. Right at the heart of the strip, just south of Golden Turtle. And we bet there would be more to come. Making for a very different Ossington. A key part of the city’s process for what can be built is “Community Consultation”. That is a meeting open to everyone — not just people in the area, not just people with one opinion or other. City officials — including Councillor Mike Layton and the Planning Department are there to learn public opinion. Everyone can speak, and Planning must use these statements in making its judgement. We love Ossington. We bet you do too. And we want to see you at the Community Consultation about 109OZ. This is not just about one building. And it’s too important not to talk about.

Local historian and author Jon Harstone will be leading a walk through Trinity Bellwoods Park this Sunday as part of Heritage Toronto Walks 2012. The walk has the same title as his book “Between the Bridge and the Brewery” (which you can read in it’s entirety here) and Jon informs me that he will be giving special attention to the events surrounding the War of 1812.

Between the Bridge and the Brewery: Trinity Bellwoods Neighbourhood – Sunday June 24, 1:30 PM

The area around Trinity Bellwoods Park has changed considerably since the War of 1812 when a blockhouse guarded the ford across Garrison Creek. Explore some of the neighbourhood’s heritage sites – still standing and long vanished – and hear what local residents did in the war and how the community has evolved in the 200 years since.

Major General The Honourable Aeneas Shaw, one of York’s earliest pioneers, was responsible for training the local militia to help defend the tiny town during the War of 1812. His house, Oak Hill, was located roughly near the corner of Harrison and Crawford streets, and his descendants lived in the neighbourhood for a number of years.

The following has been cut/pasted from Councillor Mike Layton’s website:

Monday afternoon there was a shooting at College and Montrose. Toronto Police are on scene. If you have any information please call (416) 808-1400 or Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-TIPS.

The Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP) works across Toronto providing support and resources to communities impacted by violent and traumatic incidents. The CCRP is activated when a violent incident occurs in any neighbourhood in Toronto, i.e., shooting or stabbing. It is a coordinated program of municipal services, police, community organizations, faith communities and residents to assist a neighbourhood’s response and recovery from traumatic incidents. http://www.toronto.ca/nan/about/crisisresponse.htm

CCRP Staff – Scott Mckean smckean2@toronto.ca – Phone: 416.526.0588

Toronto Police Services (EMERGENCY)…911

Toronto Police Services (Non-Emergency)…(416) 808–2222

Toronto Police Homicide Squad…(416) 808-7400

Scott McKean…(416) 526-0588
City of Toronto
Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP)

Toronto Public Health…(416) 338-7600
Community Crisis Support Team

Victim Services of Toronto…(416) 808-7066
This organization can help by referring you to organizations that can provide counselling. They aim to help victims of crime and sudden tragedies restore and enhance their quality of life while working to prevent further victimization

Province of Ontario…(416) 325-3265
Victim Witness Assistance Program

Crime Stoppers…(416) 222-TIPS (8477)
*Calls are not recorded and Crime Stoppers does not have call display, guaranteeing your identity remains anonymous. People providing information will be given a secret code number. You will never be asked to identify yourself or testify in court.

Distress Centre…416-408-HELP (4357)
Provides 24-hour telephone support, 365 days a day. Offer round the clock response to those experiencing emotional distress or in need of crisis intervention and suicide prevention. They also provide face to face support and counselling to people dealing with the effects of suicide and homicide.

Kids Help Phone Line…1 (800) 668-6868
When young people reach out for help, either by phone or online. Kids Help Phone is there for them with the immediate, caring, professional, anonymous help and hope they need and deserve. Kids Help Phone doesn’t trace calls or IP addresses, and they don’t use call display.

Gerstein Centrecrisis line, (416) 929-5200
referral line (416) 929-9897
The Gerstein Centre provides crisis intervention to adults, living in the City of Toronto. The Centre provides supportive counselling for immediate, crisis issues and referrals to other services for on-going, non-crisis issues. Our service is a community mental health service and is non-medical.

Shelter Support – Central Intake…1-877-338-3398

211…call 211 or visit www.211toronto.ca
Web-enable local data to create a fully searchable, bilingual point of access to over 60,000 community, social, health and related government programs and services in Ontario.

Toronto Police Service is asking that anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), orLeave A Tip on Facebook.

Our monthly TBCA meeting has been moved up one week, in order not to conflict with the scheduled community consultation on the 109OZ project the same evening. Tonight we will be speaking about the following topics:

Discussion regarding the noise bylaw – particularly relevant after a number of community complaints following last weekend’s Portugal Festival

Trinity Bellwoods Park – update on the proposal for a dog watering station

Smart Growth For Ossington – update on the 109OZ development

Hope to see you at the Trinity Bellwoods Community Recreation Centre at 7PM (please confirm room location with front desk)